ABC Activities for introduction, comprehension, and closure Anticipatory Activities1A-> Peer Pressure Web (Vocabulary)L.6.5. Vocabulary Acquisition and UseDemonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Peer pressure is one of the main ideas in this book. By the time students are in 6th grade, they are well aware of what peer pressure feels like and/or looks like. For this anticipation activity, the students will have to complete a web about peer pressure. The words used do not necessarily have to be adjectives; nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc. can be used as well. For each word/phrase chosen, students will identify whether or not that particular association is positive or negative. They will also articulate why they categorized that word the way they did.2A-> Voicethread (Fluency)SL.6.1. Comprehension and CollaborationEngage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.SL.6.6. Presentation of Knowledge and IdeasAdapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
The cover of this text is very simple, making it hard to predict much about the content without reading the text. However, in this activity, students will be challenged to pick up a general idea. They will have already completed the peer pressure web, so they will be aware that this book also is somehow connected to peer pressure. The voicethread invites the students to record what information they can draw from the front cover. This will help them realize that most of their classmates will come to the same conclusion because of the simplicity of the drawing. The next slide provides the students will more information by showing a character collage (cited in the description) and reading the expert on the back of the cover. After seeing the more detailed picture, and hearing the information placed on the back cover, the students will record a concise description of what how they believe the plot will develop. If a student has already read this book, he/she is required to record a plot summary based on the pictures and recordings, rather than on his/her prior knowledge.3A-> Generating Questions (Phonics, Comprehension)Rl.6.1. Key Ideas and DetailsCite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
This activity will simply be started during the anticipation phase, then assessed during the comprehension phase. To anticipate, the students will think of two questions they have about the book after they have read the introduction, "Porcupine Necktie." As they read the rest of the book, they will fill in the rest of the question boxes. After chapter 17, each student will have their Question Generator checked for progress. By this time, they should have filled in two or three more questions, and maybe found answers for some of them. Each box must be filled in, with a "T" or "I" on each line by the time we are done reading the book. The students can be using Kidspiration software, if available at the school, or they can be filling the worksheet out manually. Each question the students ask must be answered. If the answer is found directly in the text, the page number where the information was found should be noted after the answer. If the answer was inferred, this is not necessary.Assessment of Anticipatory ActivitiesFor assessment of the web,the students will be graded on completing each bubble, describing each item as positive or negative, and providing a coherent explanation as to why they chose that association.Assessing the VoiceThread will consists of a class discussion, during which we listen to and share a few of the ideas the students had. Students will be graded on how easy they are to understand and how clearly they communicated their ideas in this activity.Assessment of the Question Generator worksheet will be a collaborative activity. The class will be divided into small groups. Within each group, the students will exchange their questions. The job of each student is to verify the locations specified for where the answer was located. Also, each student must defend to the rest of the group how or why he/she come to the conclusion written for an inferential answer. The students will be given peer evaluations to complete. Building Knowledge Activities1B-> Venn Diagram (Comprehension, Phonics)RI.6.3 Key Ideas and DetailsAnalyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
After chapter 20, the students will complete a Venn diagram at http://interactives.mped.org/venn28.aspx. They will choose to start the diagram before making a list. Each circle will represent a character that the student chooses from the book. The characters must all have at least one thing in common for all three; it is acceptable for two of the characters to share no traits. When the diagram is completed, the site provides the option to print the sheet. The student will then turn in the completed diagram.2B-> Cause and Effect (Comprehension)CCR.6.Key Ideas and DetailsAnalyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
To help students keep track of the important events of the book, they will be required to fill out two of these cause and effect charts while reading Stargirl; one for the first half (chapters 1-17) and one for the second half (chapters 18-33). The cause and effects must be clearly related.3B-> Vocabulary Wiki (Vocabulary, Phonics)RL.6.4 Craft and StructureDetermine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.http://mspullmannstargirl.wikispaces.com/Chapter++1+-+5
Jerry Spinelli uses many descriptive words in his writing. While students are reading, they will be required to find at least two words in every set of five chapters (i.e. two words from pages 1 - 26) with which they are not familiar or that were used in a new way. After they have found the new words, they will look up the definitions and post them on the wiki under the appropriate chapter. The definition should reflect the way that word was used in the text. Each word must be followed by the page on which it was found, so other students can see it in context. The same word cannot be used twice on the wiki. This will encourage students to stay updated on what their peers are posting. After we have completed the book, the wiki page will serve as a miniature dictionary, specific to Stargirl.Assessing Building Knowledge activitiesThe cause and effect charts will be used later, during the Story Chain activity. Therefore, the students will only receive a completion grade for the worksheets. A cause and three clearly related effects must be presented using proper grammar and spelling.The Venn Diagram will be be graded on the presence of at least eight character traits, which are placed correctly on the diagram. At least one of these traits must apply to all three characters.In regards to the wiki page, the students will be assessed on the completion of two postings for the designated amount of pages, as well as the word chosen being defined correctly for the context in which it was used. Consolidating Activities1C-> Story Chain (Comprehension)RL.6.3. Key Ideas and DetailsDescribe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.http://www.teachersdesk.org/readchain.htmlThe students will be divided into groups of three or four. Each group will receive eleven 1" by 8.5" paper strips. On the first strip, the group will write the name of the book and the author. On each of the ten remaining strips, the students will write a sentence or two that describes an important event or main idea in the story. The students should include events that happened at the beginning of the story, as well as some from the middle and the end. When all the strips are completed, the students can glue or staple them together to create the story chain. Each group will present the completed chain to the class, explaining why they chose each event. This chain will be hung somewhere in the classroom or hallway.2C-> Quizlet (Vocabulary, Comprehension)RI.6.7. Integration of Knowledge and IdeasIntegrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
To check if the students understand the main ideas, as well as some of the words from the vocabulary wiki page, they will each have to take the quiz offered by Quizlet of the set of data above. They have the opportunity to study as much as they would like, but they must earn a passing score on the quiz. Each student in the class will be signed up for a Quizlet account, so they will be able to track their progress and the teacher will be able to see the scores on the activities.3C-> Book Cover Creator (Comprehension, Vocabulary, Fluency, Phonics)RI.6.9. Integration of Knowledge and IdeasCompare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
The students will create a new cover for the book using http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/bookcover/. They will choose the "Front & Back Cover" option, and then choose the appropriate printer option. Then, the students will choose the template they think is best suited to convey the content of the book. Therefore, the front cover needs to have the title and a drawn design and the back cover must be a summary of the story. This activity will work well to give closure to the book as a whole by tying in the VoiceThread activity to the closing activity. After students have completed this project, a different class will vote on which one of the homemade covers are the best. Then our class will decide if the winner's cover is better than the one currently being used. AssessmentThe story chain will be assessed based on the presentation given by the students, as well as the accuracy of the events.The assessment for the Quizlet activity will be informal, simply making sure that each student has tried to pass or is showing improvement.The cover will be assessed on neatness and content.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Anticipatory Activities1A-> Peer Pressure Web (Vocabulary)L.6.5. Vocabulary Acquisition and UseDemonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
The cover of this text is very simple, making it hard to predict much about the content without reading the text. However, in this activity, students will be challenged to pick up a general idea. They will have already completed the peer pressure web, so they will be aware that this book also is somehow connected to peer pressure. The voicethread invites the students to record what information they can draw from the front cover. This will help them realize that most of their classmates will come to the same conclusion because of the simplicity of the drawing. The next slide provides the students will more information by showing a character collage (cited in the description) and reading the expert on the back of the cover. After seeing the more detailed picture, and hearing the information placed on the back cover, the students will record a concise description of what how they believe the plot will develop. If a student has already read this book, he/she is required to record a plot summary based on the pictures and recordings, rather than on his/her prior knowledge. 3A-> Generating Questions (Phonics, Comprehension)Rl.6.1. Key Ideas and DetailsCite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Building Knowledge Activities1B-> Venn Diagram (Comprehension, Phonics)RI.6.3 Key Ideas and DetailsAnalyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Consolidating Activities 1C-> Story Chain (Comprehension)RL.6.3. Key Ideas and DetailsDescribe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. http://www.teachersdesk.org/readchain.html The students will be divided into groups of three or four. Each group will receive eleven 1" by 8.5" paper strips. On the first strip, the group will write the name of the book and the author. On each of the ten remaining strips, the students will write a sentence or two that describes an important event or main idea in the story. The students should include events that happened at the beginning of the story, as well as some from the middle and the end. When all the strips are completed, the students can glue or staple them together to create the story chain. Each group will present the completed chain to the class, explaining why they chose each event. This chain will be hung somewhere in the classroom or hallway. 2C-> Quizlet (Vocabulary, Comprehension)RI.6.7. Integration of Knowledge and IdeasIntegrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
To check if the students understand the main ideas, as well as some of the words from the vocabulary wiki page, they will each have to take the quiz offered by Quizlet of the set of data above. They have the opportunity to study as much as they would like, but they must earn a passing score on the quiz. Each student in the class will be signed up for a Quizlet account, so they will be able to track their progress and the teacher will be able to see the scores on the activities. 3C-> Book Cover Creator (Comprehension, Vocabulary, Fluency, Phonics)RI.6.9. Integration of Knowledge and IdeasCompare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).